Commissioner Urges Communities Against Vandalism

The Akwa Ibom Com
missioner for Rural Development, Mr Effiong Abia, has called on communities to regard government property as theirs and guard them against vandalism.
Abia, who made the call in an interview with newsmen in Uyo on Tuesday, noted that vandalism of transformers had become common occurrence.
“Our people should learn to cherish and protect what we have. The cost of erecting substation has increased.’’
He revealed that Community Projects Maintenance Committee would be established this year to check vandalism of transformers as part of efforts of to protect government property,
According to him, the committee would be in charge of monitoring and reporting any act of vandalism to the appropriate government agencies for prompt action.
He said that over 90 per cent of rural communities in the state had been connected to the national grid because the present administration was determined to ensure that all communities in the state were electrified before the end of its tenure.
“In terms of targeted percentage, we have gone beyond 90 per cent and are really working hard to surpass this in the remaining period of this administration.
The commissioner, who assessed his ministry’s activities in 2013, added that “our focus in 2014 is to ensure that this pilfering is reduced.
“We will ensure adequate purchase of materials for prompt maintenance.
“We have a team of about 20 electrical engineers in the ministry who are always in the field monitoring our sub-stations daily to ensure constant rural electricity in the state’’, he said
The commissioner assured that all ongoing rural electrification and water projects would be completed before the end of the present administration.